learning quran online

Friday, August 19, 2011

Ruling on Reciting the Names of Allaah in certain combinations

Number of people tell me if you say so-and-so X amount of times then you will get such and such reward e.g. reciting the 99 names of Allah in certain combnations and quantities will do certain things .

Praise be to Allaah.

This question was answered for us by Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Munayyi’, who said:

“This is not permissible, and if he believes in it, it is bid’ah.”

Every dhikr that involves reciting a certain number of times, or in a certain place, or at a certain time, or in a certain manner, that is not prescribed in sharee’ah, is bid’ah. With regard to the Most Beautiful Names of Allaah, the way to use these in worship is to call upon Allaah by these Names, as He says (interpretation of the meaning), “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them…” [al-A’raaf 7:180]. Merely reciting them in certain combinations is not a prescribed form of worship. And Allaah knows best.